The Ultimate Linear Guild Tournament: Rocket Skate Phase (week 4 of 4)!

[137beth]

Greetings all tagonists, both of the 'pro' and 'an' variety, and welcome to

The Ultimate Linear Guild Tournament
Rocket Skate Edition!

In which all past members of the Linear Guild compete for the title of Ultimate Rival!

The Contestants:
The contestants have been divided into two categories: the main contestants and the tie-breaking contestant. The main contestants are those Nale personally recruited, and who were Evil Opposites of one of the six PCs. The tie-breaking contestants are those who forced there way in, or never formally joined at all. So without further ado, let me introduce:
The Main Contestants

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1. Nale
2. Sabine
3. Thog
4. Zz'dtri
5. Hilgya Firehelm-- Eliminated in the fourth Elimination Phase! I think karma just evened the score!
6. Yikyik-- Eliminated in the second Tiebreaking Phase! He tastes good with tortilla chips.
7. Leeky Windstaff
8. Pompey--Eliminated in the fourth Tiebreaking Phase! FREEDOM!
9. Yokyok-- Eliminated in the third Tiebreaking Phase! Getting paid to kill things: Cornerstone of the world economy.
10. Yukyuk-- Eliminated in the first Tiebreaking Phase! While shielding Mr. Scruffy from acid!

And now,
The Tie-breaking Contestants

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Introduced by me, the evil genius who concocted this elaborate scheme to begin with! Now remember, these Tiebreakers aren't real evil opposites. All you Linear Guild fans should be hoping that these second-string wannabes lose! They don't even get numbers, just letters.

A. General Tarquin--This fool is a complete coward who doesn't know what real power is! Also, he practices filicide!

B. Malack--A Snake, a leech, a parasite, and a pile of dust are the most generous ways to describe this monster!

C. Kilkil--An overattentive drone who follows my father around. He's even more worthless than Belkon. Or Belker, or whatever the halfling's name is.

D. Qarr--A simple pawn in my grand design...
--Eliminated during the Final Tiebreaking Phase! Okay, I'm out. Good luck, elf.

E. Ysometimesykysometimesyk--What is that, a KOBOLD hiding under the umbrella? Something else polymorphed into a kobold? He's not even a Linear Guilder, how in the Nine Hells did he get in here?
--Eliminated during the third Tiebreaking Phase! Awww man! I lost thrice. I suck.

F. Yakyak--Oh come on, he's not even a character! Whoever picked this terrible line-up of tie-breaking contestants is as dumb as my brother!
--Eliminated during the second Tiebreaking Phase! Everyone knows that they're no real threat to the six of us.

...
...
Phew, I'm glad that's over. I knew there was a reason I wouldn't let Nale introduce the Main Contestants!

The Final Contestants
The Final Contestants are the five Main and three Tiebreaking contestants who reached the Rocket Skate Phase without being eliminated. They are:

1. Nale ---Has one pair of Rocket Skates!
2. Sabine ---Has one pair of Rocket Skates!
3. Thog ---Has one pair of Rocket Skates!
4. Zz'dtri
5. Leeky Windstaff
6. General Tarquin---Has one pair of Rocket Skates!
7. Malack ---Has one pair of Rocket Skates!
8. Kilkil---Has one pair of Rocket Skates!

The Process
Each week during the Initial Phase, I will post three head-to-head matches between competitors, and y'all will be able to vote once in each. Voting will last for one week, after which I will post another three matches. This will continue until all Linear Guilders have faced three other competitors. At this point, a score for each Linear Guilder will be computed. The score of a competitor depends on the scores of those they defeated, which in turn depends on the scores of who they defeated. It is a variation of the PageRank algorithm used by Google.
Subsequently, the tournament will enter the Elimination Phase. During the Elimination Phase, the Linear Guilder with the lowest score will be eliminated. The three remaining Linear Guilders who previously faced the eliminated contestant will each play each other. Thus, each remaining Linear Guilder will have played three or more matches against other remaining Linear Guilders. The score of the remaining characters will be recomputed, and the cycle continues until only three remain.
If, during the Elimination Phase, there is a tie for last place, the tied contestants will enter a Tiebreaking Phase. The Tiebreaking Phase will feature matches between the Main Contestants tied for last place, along with an equal number of Tiebreaking Contestants! If, due to eliminations, there are an insufficient number of Tiebreaking Contestants for a given Phase, than all remaining Tiebreaking Contestants will take part. The last place Main contestant and the last place contestant (if they are a Tiebreaking Contestant) at the end of each Tiebreaking Phase will be eliminated from the tournament! The winner of the Tiebreaking Phase (if they are a Tiebreaking Contestant) will be inducted into the Hall of Tiebreaking Champions!

Each time there is a Tie for last place in the Elimination Phase, another Tiebreaking Phase will be run, knocking out another Main contestant and Another Tiebreaking Contestant, and adding another 'tagonist to the Hall of Tiebreaking Champions.

Now, at this point, you are probably wondering: what will happen if a Tiebreaking Phase ends in a tie? Well, in that case, we will go into a Tiebreaking Tiebreaking Phase! Hint: it involves puppets. Specifically the Linear Guild puppets from the introduction of No Cure for Paladin Blues. If that ends in a tie, then I will use a refined version of the PageRank algorithm that takes the number of votes for each Linear Guilder into account, and not just who won each match. In the highly unlikely event that a tie still persists, I will cast a tiebreaking vote.

Once only three Main Contestants remain, all Tiebreaking Contestants who have not made it into the Hall of Tiebreaking Champions will face off against each other in an Ultimate Tiebreaking Phase. If there is only one such Tiebreaking Contestant, then it will automatically win this phase. If no Tiebreaking contestants who have not been eliminated nor entered the Hall remain, then this phase will be skipped. The winner of that Phase will join the Hall of Tiebreaking Champions. Subsequently, the Hall of Tiebreaking Champions will be merged into the Main Contestants, an each will face a random set of three original Main Contestants in the Merger Phase.

Once the Merger Phase is complete, a very special phase will begin. The rules and purpose of this Phase will be a surprise, and will not be revealed until the Phase begins.
Really? I love surprises!

The Super Secret Phase was revealed to be the Rocket Skate Phase! The Rocket Skate phase is much like the Initial Phase: it consists of twelve matches over four weeks, with each of the remaining eight contestants facing off against three others. This time, though, a set of rocket skates will be awarded to the winner of each match. However, each constestant may only win up to ONE set of rocket skates--further victories still count as wins, but do not award additional rocket skates.
After the Rocket Skate Phase, the cycle of elimination will then continue until only three Linear Guilders, from either category, remain. Unlike the earlier elimination phases, though, no more Tiebreaking Phases will be played. If necessary, ties will be broken by the precise vote count. If a tie is still present, I will break it myself.
In future Elimination Phases, a contestant who won rocket skates in the Rocket Skate Phase can opt to use them, granting a +3 for a single match. Rocket Skates are expended after one use. A contestant 'chooses' to use their rocket skates via majority vote.

Once only three contestants remain, the Final Three will each play rematches against each other to determine the Ultimate Rival!

Main Bracket
There may have been a bit of confusion about how scores are calculated, and what the Main Bracket is, so I'm clearing things up. The Main Bracket consists of all matches played during the Initial Phase and all Elimination Phases. However, matches in which at least one contestant have been eliminated are removed from the Main Bracket. The scores computed at the end of each Elimination Phase are the Page Rank values of contestants based on all Main Bracket matches (not just those from the most recent Elimination Phase).
Once a match is played in the Main Bracket, it is not rerun--matches from the Initial and Elimination phases continue to be counted as long as both of their participants are still in the tournament, up until the Rocket Skate Round.
Tiebreaking Phases use their own separate brackets, which include only matches from that Tiebreaking Phase, ignoring matches from previous Tiebreaking Phases and from the Main Bracket.

Upon the completion of the Final Tiebreaking Phase, the Main Bracket has been rendered obsolete. Scores are now determined by the Final Bracket, which includes all matches played during and after the Rocket Skate Phase.



Previous Matches
Initial Phase
1. Nale vs. Yukyuk: 14-5
2. Sabine vs Yokyok: 16-3
3. Leeky Windstaff vs Pompey: 15-4
4. Zz'dtri vs Yikyik 23-0
5. Sabine vs Thog 13-10
6. Hilgya Firehelm vs Leeky Windstaff 9-14
7. Nale vs Zz'dtri: 12-13
8. Thog vs Yokyok: 19-6
9. Hilgya Firehelm vs Yukyuk: 18-6
10. Nale vs Pompey: 19-3
11. Sabine vs Hilgya Firehelm: 18-4
12. Yikyik vs Leeky Windstaff: 1-21
13. Thog vs Yukyuk 21-1
14. Zz'dtri vs Yokyok 20-3
15. Yikyik vs Pompey 9-14

At the end of the Intitial Phase, the scores of each Main Contestant are:
1. Sabine: 1.79388
2. Zz'dtri: 1.77157
3. Leeky Windstaff: 1.3476
4. Nale: 1.03801
5. Thog: 0.889254
6-7. Hilgya Firehelm: 0.728431
6-7. Pompey: 0.728431
8-10: Yikyik: 0.567609
8-10: Yokyok: 0.567609
8-10: Yukyuk: 0.567609
Thog surprised many by failing not only to come in first during the Initial Phase, but to achieve a score that was below average.

Tiebreaking Phase 1
1. Yikyik vs Yokyok: 8-7
2. Yukyuk vs General Tarquin: 2-13
3. Malack vs Kilkil: 13-3
4. Yikyik vs Yukyuk: 5-2
5. Yokyok vs Malack: 0-9
6. General Tarquin vs Kilkil: 6-3
7. Yokyok vs Yukyuk: 3-1
8. Yikyik vs Kilkil: 1-5
9. General Tarquin vs Malack: 2-7

At the end of the Phase, the Tiebreaking Scores (which do not include matches from the Initial Phase) are:

1. Malack: 2.03711
2. Kilkil: 1.12035
3. Tarquin: 1.03901
4. Yikyik: 0.802074
5. Yokyok: 0.562859
6. Yukyuk: 0.438591

Despite defeating him in a direct match, Tarquin narrowly lost to his kobold assistant in the rankings. Yukyuk lost three matches in a row, bringing him to the bottom and making him the first Linear Guilder to be eliminated! Meanwhile, Malack went undefeated and entered the Hall of Tiebreaking Champions!

Elimination Phase 1
1. Nale vs Thog: 6-8
2. Nale vs Hilgya Firehelm: 8-6
3. Thog vs Hilgya Firehelm: 8-6

Thog makes a comeback from his poor showing in the Initial Phase. Nale drops below the average of the remaining Main Contestants. The Main Bracket scores at the end of the first Elimination Phase were:

1. Sabine: 1.90886
2. Zz'dtri:1.29813
3. Thog: 1.25839
4. Leeky Windstaff: 1.14523
5. Nale: 0.986266
6. Pompey: 0.720004
7-9. Hilgya Firehelm, Yikyik, and Yokyok: 0.561042

Leeky maintains his lead on Nale due to going undefeated in the Initial Phase, but likely only because he faced easy opponents.

Tiebreaking Phase 2

1. Hilgya Firehelm vs Yikyik: 12-1
2. Yokyok vs General Tarquin: 2-11
3. Qarr vs Yakyak: 12-1
4. Hilgya Firehelm vs Yokyok: 13-0
5. Yikyik vs Qarr: 0-13
6. General Tarquin vs Yakyak: 11-1
7. Yikyik vs Yokyok: 5-7
8. Hilgya Firehelm vs Yakyak: 12-0
9. General Tarquin vs Qarr: 10-2

The final scores for this Tiebreaking Phase are:
1. Tarquin: 1.8733
2. Hilgya: 1.25191
3. Qarr: 0.928624
4. Yokyok: 0.760682
5-6. Yikyik and Yakyak:0.592739


Tarquin sweeps the Tiebreaking Phase and enters the Hall of Tiebreaking Champions! There is a tie for last place, however, Yikyik is a Main Contestant while Yakyak is a Tiebreaking Contestant, so both are eliminated with no Tiebreaking Tiebreaking Phase needed. (A Tiebreaking Tiebreaking Phase only occurs if there is a tie for last place in a Tiebreaking Phase among tied contestants from the same division, or if any tie for first place in a Tiebreaking Phase occurs).

Elimination Phase 2
1. Thog vs Zz'dtri: 11-11 tie! I broke the tie in favor of Thog
2. Zz'dtri vs Leeky Windstaff: 14-8
3. Zz'dtri vs Pompey: 21-1

The final scores for the Main Bracket at the end of the second Elimination Phase were:

1. Sabine: 2.28503
2. Thog: 1.99705
3. Zz'dtri: 1.36448
4-5. Nale and Leeky Windstaff: 0.587541
6-8. Hilgya Firehelm, Pompey, and Yokyok: 0.392785

Zz'dtri falls behind Thog due to his direct loss. Sabine maintains a lead, while the sole remaining kobold is forced into a Tiebreaking Phase!

Tiebreaking Phase 3

1. Hilgya Firehelm vs Pompey: 12-3
2. Yokyok vs Kilkil: 8-7
3. Qarr vs Ysometimesykysometimesyk: 13-2
4. Hilgya Firehelm vs Yokyok: 9-2
5. Pompey vs Qarr: 1-11
6. Kilkil vs Ysometimesykysometimesyk: 10-0
7. Pompey vs Yokyok: 6-4
8. Hilgya Firehelm vs Ysometimesykysometimesyk: 10-0
9. Kilkil vs Qarr: 4-6

At the end of the third Tiebreaking Phase, the scores for this Phase are:
1. Hilgya--0.247993
2. Qarr--0.237546
3. Pompey--0.155383
4. Yokyok--0.144936
5. Kilkil--0.120357
6. MitD--0.0937847

Ysometimesykysometimesyk is eliminated from the tournament due to placing last, as is Yokyok due to being the last place Main Contestant. Since Hilgya, a main contestant, came in first, no one enters the Hall of Tiebreaking Champions this phase.

Elimination Phase 3
1. Nale vs Leeky Windstaff: 16-3
2. Sabine vs Zz'dtri: 12-7
3. Sabine vs Pompey: 17-2


The Main Bracket scores at the end of this Phase are

1. Sabine: 2.2272
2. Thog: 1.35173
3. Zz'dtri: 1.12727
4. Nale: 0.853767
5. Leeky: 0.599135
6-7. Hilgya and Pompey: 0.420446

Tiebreaking Phase 4
1. Hilgya Firehelm vs Kilkil: 12-3
2. Hilgya Firehelm vs Qarr: 9-6
3. Pompey vs Kilkil: 2-13
4. Hilgya Firehelm vs Pompey: 10-2
5. Pompey vs Qarr: 2-10
6.Kilkil vs Qarr: 9-3

The final scores for this Tiebreaking Phase are:

1. Hilgya Firehelm: 1.80551
2. Kilkil: 0.975949
3. Qarr: 0.684876
4. Pompey: 0.53367

Since the first place Tiebreaker, Hilgya, is a Main Contestant, no one enters the Hall of Tiebreaking Champions this round!
Pompey comes in last and is eliminated from the tournament!

Elimination Phase 4
1. Nale vs Sabine: 10-10 --In the interest of keeping the tournament closer, I broke the tie in favor of the underdog, Nale.
2. Sabine vs Leeky Windstaff: 14-6
3. Thog vs Leeky Windstaff: 15-5

The Main Bracket scores at the end of this phase are:
1. Sabine: 1.73548
2. Nale: 1.69568
3. Thog: 1.32765
4. Zz'dtri: 0.909314
5. Leeky: 0.181875
6. Hilgya: 0.15

Hilgya is eliminated from the tournament!

Final Tiebreaking Phase
1. Kilkil vs Qarr: 11-4
Kilkil moves on to the Final Bracket, while Qarr is eliminated!


Rocket Skate Phase
1. Nale vs Zz'dtri: 11-5
2. Sabine vs Malack: 9-7
3. Zz'dtri vs Malack: 5-11
4. Nale vs General Tarquin: 8-9
5. Sabine vs Leeky Windstaff: 10-7
6. Zz'dtri vs Kilkil: 8-9
7. Thog vs Kilkil: 9-4
8. General Tarquin vs Kilkil: 12-1
9. Thog vs Leeky Windstaff: 9-4

The Hall of Tiebreaking Champions

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--Malack became the first member of the Hall, after trouncing Tarquin and a bunch of kobolds in the first Tiebreaking Phase.
-- General Tarquin became the second member of the Hall, after beating Qarr and a bunch of kobolds in the second Tiebreaking Phase.

The Current Phase
Some have expressed concern that the Tournament is really long. While it may not look like it, we are actually most of the way to the end. There are eight contestants left--half as many as we had to start. Moreover, no more Tiebreaking Phases will occur in the tournament. Hence, there are at most only nine more weeks of voting to go: four Rocket Skate, four Elimination, and one Final Three.

The Rocket Skate phase is much like the Initial Phase: it consists of twelve matches over four weeks, with each of the remaining eight contestants facing off against three others. This time, though, a set of rocket skates will be awarded to the winner of each match. However, each constestant may only win up to ONE set of rocket skates--further victories still count as wins, but do not award additional rocket skates. If both contestants in a given match have already won rocket skates, then that match will be skipped. The twelve matches, and their order, have been decided pseudorandomly.




The Current Matches
10. Leeky Windstaff vs General Tarquin
11. Nale vs Sabine
12. Thog vs Malack

Voting will last until July 29th, at which point scores will be computed, one Contestant will be eliminated, and we will move on to an Elimination Phase!